Method of and apparatus for tunneling



Nov. 24, 1931. v D. J. O'ROURKE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TUNNELING- Filed May '20. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l DAN/EL J Nov. 24, 1931. D. J- O'ROURKE 1,333,363

IETHQD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TUNNELING Filed May 20. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Nov, 24, 1931. v D. J. OROURKE 1,333,368

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TUNNELING Filed May 20. 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig.9.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DANIEL J. OROURKE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TU NNELING Application filed May 20, 1930.

My invention relates to methods of and apparatus for tunneling.

In driving a tunnel in hard rock, it has heretofore been the practice to work on a vertical face and in large tunnels to drive a small heading in advance of the main face and operate on the latter in rear of this heading while the latter is advanced. As a result of the vertical face, the space available has been very limited with resultant difliculty,

danger and slow progress. Moreover, as a result of the heading, it has been necessary for all of the air, water, electrical and ventilation connections to pass through the main operation, together with all supplies. for

workers in the heading with consequent interference and delay to both operations. Also, where the bench system has been used, the operation is slow, complicated and dangerous and it is also exceedingly diflicult to use mucking machines effectively. Where the tunnel is advanced by means of a top heading and benches, difficulty is also experienced due to delay in clearing the benches and in carryin the light and power wires, air and water hose, steel, et cetera, over the benches, while the process is also retarded by the limited amount of advance that can be drilled in a given time. Moreover, most of the drilling is done with mounted rock drills which are bulky and slow and require an intelligent class of operators frequently unavailable and only available at relatively high cost. For example, where a center heading and ring drilling is employed, the entire drilling is ordinarily done with rock drills of the mounted type. Difficulty with lighting is also experienced tending to increase unnecessarily the possibility of accidents, as well as difficulty with ventilation especially in connection with removing dynamite fumes from the advanced heading.

My invention has among its objects to provide an improved method of tunneling especially adapted to use in hard rock and whereby it is made possible to increase the size of the face in a new and effective manner regardless of the size of the tunnel. A further object of my invention is to provide such an improved method which is also es- Serial No. 454,008.

pecially adapted to use in large tunnels and whereby it is made possible to avoid the necessity for an advanced heading with its resulting objections, while facilitating muck removal and in general improving and speeding up the advancing operation. More specific objects of my invention are to provide an improved method of tunneling whereby it is made possible to reduce the cost, increase the speed of advance, reduce the necessary investment in plant, utilize readily available and cheaper labor, increase the facility of muck removal, and increase the facility of providing ventilation, electrical, air, water, steel and other supplies, all while very sub stantially increasing the safety of the workers and improving working conditions. Still another object of my invention is to provide improved apparatus for carrying out my improved method. These and other objects and advantanges of my improvement will, however, hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown for purposes of illustration, several embodiments which my invention may as- 75 sume in practice.

In these drawings,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a tunnel face driven in accordance with my improvement;

Figure 2 is a similar view but after shooting, the muck burden being indicated schematically;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the face at a slightly smaller angle and in a circular tunnel;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of the face illustrated in Figure 3 and showing the location of the shot holes therein;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing a horseshoe shaped tunnel with a slightly different arrangement of shot holes;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4: showing the shot hole arrangement used in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figures 3 and 5, but showing the face after one portion of the same has been shot and mucked out;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 4:, but illustrating on an undrilled face the preferred 100 extent laterally of the mucked out area when the face is advanced portion by portion;

Figure 9 is a somewhat diagrammatic View showing the mucking equipment and drills working simultaneously on different sides of the face;

Figure 10 is a horizontal sectional View on lines 10-10 of Figure 9;

Figure 1.1 is a transverse sectional view of a circular tunnel showing the arrangement of timbering therein;

Figure 12 is a vertical longitudinal section of a horseshoe shaped tunnel, showing the timbering arrangement therein; and

Figure 13 is a transverse section of a similar tunnel showing the plumb posts in position therein.

In my improvement an inclined face 1 is formed sloping away from the bottom 2 toward the roof 3 in such manner as to provide a substantially enlarged and substantially plane inclined face as compared with a vertical face, with the face disposed at such an angle as to enable the workers to stand readily on the face while drilling the same, and also to expedite and facilitate the removal of the muck after the face has been shot.

In practice, the angle of the inclined plane forming the face 1 may be varied to meet different conditions depending on the character of the rock and other conditions. Or-

dinaril however I arefer an an le of a proximately thirty degrees, more or less depending on the circumstances and have shown herein, for illustrative purposes, faces disposed at thirty and thirty-five degrees. However, it will be understood that I contemplate any angle suited to the work which is sufficient to enable men to work effectively on the inclined face during the drilling of the same and one preferably less than the angle at which broken rock will flow by gravity on a rough floor or on itself.

In driving a tunnel in accordance with my improved method, the rock is first drilled, blasted and removed in any usual manner until a face disposed in the desired inclined plane is formed. Thereafter, the inclined face is removed in relatively shallow sections of uniform depth in such manner as to maintain the face at the desired angle after each section of the rock has been blasted and mucked out. Thus the work progresses section by section, or in a step by step manner, throughout the length of the tunnel while al ways retaining the desired inclined face and presenting a roughened face adapted to provide a satisfactory footing for the drillers and other laborers at the face while still permitting ready removal of the muck after shooting. Attention is also particularly directed to the fact that by this process of removal of the rock section by section, it is made possible to reduce substantially the depth of the drill holes required and to enable lighter charges to be used, while substantially speeding up the drill speed.

In drilling the face in accordance with my improvement, a section marked 4, is drilled preferably substantially as shown in Figures 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6. In inserting the drill holes, I may transpose the drilling of an ordinary Vertical face to the new inclined face. However, throughout substantially the whole incline, I drill shallow holes 5, herein vertically, downward to the bottom 6 of the section 4 which it is desired to remove. At the top and bottom, where the rock is to be separated from the solid, I preferably provide angular shot holes 7 with the roof holes closer together as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 5. It will also be noted that the holes are arranged in such manner as to confine the break to the desired conformation of the tunnel. Also, all the holes bottom, or substantially bottom, on the bottom of the section 4 which it is desired to remove, in such manner as to form a roughened or minutely benched face safe for the drillers while also readily mucked.

Obviously the arrangement of the holes 5 and 7 may vary, depending upon the rock and roof conditions, etc. For example, in Figure 1 a preferred arrangement is shown for detaching the rock from and near the roof by light charges which will not shatter the roof, whereas the shot hole arrangement shown in Figures 3 to 5 is adapted to use under other conditions. As regards the disposition of the several shot holes on the face, attention is also directed to Figure 4 which shows a preferred arrangement when driving a circular tunnel, while Figure 6 shows a preferred arrangement when driving a tunnel of horseshoe cross section.

In operating upon the face in a small tunnel, all of the face is drilled and then shot and mucked. Here it will be noted that due to the inclined plane, the process of drill ing is facilitated. In mucking it is also made possible to utilize a scraper working down the inclined face in a most effective manner as hereinafter described. It will also be noted that by first removing the muck at the top of the inclined face, it is possible for the drillers to resume work at the top of the face as soon as the top has been cleared, and thus expedite progress, with the drilling following the mucking down the inclined face.

In driving larger tunnels, I preferably drill and remove portions of the section f at different times, with one portion removed in advance of the other. In a preferred form, the section to be removed is divided vertically along a line at one side of the center line of holes as shown in Figure 8, and the larger portion 8 of the section 4 is first drilled. Thereafter, the portion 8 is maintained in advance of the portion 9, section 8, for example, being mucked out while section 9 is being drilled, so that the two operations can masses proceed simultaneously in different parallel inclined planes.

Attention is here directed to the fact that this method of advance minimizes conflict between the drilling and mucking operations and, if desired, permits separate air and water lines for the drills to be carried forward on opposite sides of the tunnel, while all supplies such as drill steel, etc., can be supplied along the side not being mucked out, with a minimum of interference. It will also be noted that by providing a plurality of flood lights on opposite sides of the tunnel, as for example, on the floor thereof, the entire area worked upon either by the drilling or mucking gangs may be illuminated most effectively due to the inclined disposition of the face. I am thus able, through the more effective lighting provided, to reduce substantially the danger from accidents due to improper lighting, and also those arising from the proximity of the electric lights or wires to the dynamite when. the holes are being loaded, no electrical connections being necessary adjacent the face.

As regards the apparatus used in producing a tunnel in accordance with my improved method, attention is directed to Figures 9 and 10 showing the same as applied to use in connection with a large tunnel of horseshoe cross section. In these figures, it will be noted that I have shown hammer drills 10 of any usual construction having connected air and water lines 11 and 12, and that I have illustrated these hammer drills as operating on the face of the portion 9, while a scraper 13 is removing the muck from the face of the portion 8.

This scraper 13, which may be of any usual type, is preferably connected between cables 14 and 15, of which the cable 15 is disposed around a guide or sheave 16 anchored in the roof 3 adjacent the top of the portion 8, while both the portions 1 1 and 15 are led rearward to a hoist 17 of a usual double drum type carried on the rear end of a car loading frame 18, the cable 14 in its passage to its hoist drum also passing under a guide 19 in front of the frame 18. The latter is also provided with a sloping adjustable incline 20 having at its front end removable side wings 21 adapted to assist in directing the muck on to the portion 20 when the scraper 13 is drawn in, while the frame 18 is also provided with an opening 22 in rear of the portion 20 and in front of the hoist 17, through which the muck is delivered into cars 23 carried on a spur track 24 branching from the main line 25. Thus it will be evident that while the drills 10 are operating on the face of the portion 9, the scraper 13 may be simultaneously operating on the muck on the portion 8, scraping the same down the inclined face 1, and up the incline 20 so that the muck is delivered through the opening 22 into the car 23 for removal.

Attention is here also directed to the fact that the spur 24 upon which the cars 23 are moved, is disposed at one side of the center line of the tunnel and opposite the portion 8 being mucked out. In a preferred form, a corresponding trackway 26 is also provided on the other side of the same and both are connected to the main trackway 25 disposed in the center of the tunnel bottom 2. Attention is also directed to the fact that the hoist 17 is movable along the frame 18 from the full line position shown in Figure 9, to the dotted line position shown therein prior to the transfer of the frame 18 from a working position on one spur to the other spur. Also, an adjustable back support 27 is provided on the back of the frame 18 which is moved down into operative position and held therein by suitable means 28 during scraping, and moved upward into inoperative position when the frame is being transferred from one spur track to the other. Attention is also directed to the jacking mechanism 29 provided on the frame 18 for suitably acking the same to the track during scraping, this of course also being releasable to permit ready transfer.

l/Vith this scraper mechanism, it will be evident that with the sheave 16 suitably shifted in a well known manner between suitable anchors 30 disposed at different points in the roof, as shown in Figure 10, and with the guide 19 positioning the pull of the cable 14 on the incline, it will be possible to drag all of the muck from the face of the portion 8 and carry the same up the incline 20 and deliver it to the car, all while the drillers are drilling the face of the portion 9 and without interfering with the drilling operation.

It will be noted that I preferably provide duplicate sets of air and water lines 11 and 12 on opposite sides of the tunnel. It will also be observed that an electric power line 31 is provided leading to the motor of the hoist 17, and to flood lights 32, one preferably disposed on each side of the tunnel center line and flooding the whole area being drilled and mucked. Attention is also directed to the blower and ventilator pipe 33 which is connected to a suitable low pressure fan or blower, not shown, in a well known manner.

Upon the completion of the drilling on one side and mucking on the other, it will be evident that the drilled holes will be shot and drilling work resumed on the mucked off face, while mucking will be resumed on the material on the recently shot face. It will also be observed that during the transfer, it is only necessary for the mucking machine to be backed up on one spur and run forward on the other, while the drills 10 may be readily disconnected from their air and water lines,

' of the same.

and connected to those on the opposite side of the tunnel where two lines are used.

In Figures 11, 12 and 13 I have shown the tunnel timbered as may be necessary under certain conditions. Here it will be noted that due to my new inclined face, it is possible for the timber to be readily dragged up this inclined face by the mucking machine. It will also be noted that by simply drilling out a shallow timber aperture in advance of the face and adjacent the roof, as indicated at 34, it is possible to insert the timbering with facility so that the timbering may be kept in advance of the face, while the latter is removed as previously described. In a tunnel of circular cross section the timbering is supported on ledges 36 at the sides of the tunnel in a well known manner. Vhen timbering a tunnel of horseshoe cross section, substantially the same process is followed with the same facility, although in such a tunnel, addi tional temporary posts 37 are inserted under the wall plate 38 and between the same and the inclined face and replaced by plumb posts 39 as the work progresses.

As a result of my improvements, marked advantages are obtained. These include a substantial reduction in the necessary investment in plant or equipment and a consequent reduction in maintenance expense. For example, by making possible the use of short holes and light charges, it is made possible to use hand held hammer drills as distinguished from the more expensive and more slow and cumbersome mounted rock drills which are also more expensive to maintain. Further, by using hammer drills, it is made possible to use not only more readily available but less expensive labor in connection with operation Obviously, however, mounted rock drills may be used if desired. It will also be observed that it is possible, due to the inclined face, to utilize a larger force. Due to the possibility of carrying on work consecutively with the only interruptions coming during blasting, it is possible also to utilize all of this force most effectively with a sul'istantial increase of percentage of productive man hours over each working period. Due to my improvements, including the new face and the elimination of the ad vanced heading and the benches, it will also be observed that the working conditions at the face are substantially improved, particularly as regards ventilation, lighting, safety, and accessibility. It will also be noted that with the entire area exposed, the failure of a loaded hole to explode wholly or partially can be easily detected so that the danger of drilling into loaded holes is minimized. Attention is also particularly directed to'the increased speed of advance and decreased cost obtainable by reason of these various factors.

While I have in this application specifically described these embodiments of my invennssaece tion, it will be understood that the same are shown for illustrative purposes, and that my invention may be modified and embodied in other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The method of tunneling rock which consists in, drilling, shooting and removing the rock in successive inclined portions each forming a new face in a like inclined plane.

2. The method of tunneling rock which consists in, removing a face sloping upward from the tunnel bottom in successive shallow inclined portions presenting inclined faces in substantially parallel planes.

3. The method of tunneling rock which consists in, removing substantially the whole face in successive shallow inclined portions presenting like inclined faces each disposed at an angle enabling drillers to stand thereon.

4. The method of tunneling rock which consists in, forming a face sloping upward from the tunnel bottom, drilling and shooting the same to separate and break up a shallow inclined surface section of rock while forming a new face lying substantially parallel to said inclined face, and removing the muck from said new face.

5. The method of tunneling rock which consists in, forming a face lying substantially in an inclined plane sloping upward toward the roof in the direction of advance, drilling shallow holes of substantially uni form depth between the top and bottom of the portion of said face to be removed and also holes for separating the rock from the roof and bottom, shooting said holes to break out a second face substantially parallel to said first face, and removing the muck from said second face.

6. The method of tunneling rock which consists in, forming an inclined face sloping upward from the tunnel bottom, drilling shallow vertical holes of substantially uniform depth between the top and bottom of said face and also angularly disposed holes for separating the rock from the roof and bottom, and shooting said holes to break out a second face substantially parallel to said first face.

7. The method of tunneling rock which consists in forming a face lying substantially in an inclined plane and sloping upward in the direction of advance, drilling and shooting shallow holes to form a correspondingly inclined advanced face, and scraping the muck from said last mentioned face.

8. The method of tunneling rock which consists in forming a face lying substantially in an inclined plane and sloping upward in the direction of advance, drilling and shooting shallow holes to form a correspondingly inclined advanced face, scraping the muck from the top toward the bottom of said last mentioned face, and re-drilling the latter from the top as scraping proceeds.

9. The method of tunneling rock which consists in, removing alternately adjacent portions of an inclined face to advance the tunnel while maintaining the planes of said portions parallel to one another.

10. The method of tunneling a rock face sloping upward in the direction of advance which consists in, simultaneously drilling and mucking out different adjacent portions of the face.

11. The method of tunneling rock on a face sloping upward in the direction of advance which consists in, drilling one portion of the face, mucking out said portion, and drilling the other portion during the mucking operation.

12. The method of tunneling rock on an inclined face having adjacent mucked and unmucked portions which consists in, drilling the muckcd portion while mucking the other portion, shooting the drilled portion, and mucking the latter while drilling the other portion.

13. The method of tunneling rock which consists in forming an inclined face sloping upward in the direction of advance and advancing the face by repeatedly simultaneous- 1y drilling and mucking different laterally offset portions of the face with successive drilling and successive mucking operations on opposite sides of the face.

1 1. The method of tunneling rock which consists in, simultaneously drilling and mucking adjacent shallow portions of an inclined face with the mucking in advance of the drilling, shooting the drilled portion upon completion of mucking of the advanced portion, and mucking the shot portion while drilling the mucked portion.

15. The method of tunneling which consists in forming an inclined face having a timber aperture in the top thereof, and removing parallel portions of the face below said aperture to advance said face as said timber aperture is advanced and timbered.

16. The method of tunneling rock which consists in disposing mucking and drilling mechanisms on different portions of an inclined face, mucking and drilling said porti ons therewith, shooting the drilled portion, and returning the drilling mechanism to the mucked portion and the mucking mecha nism to the shot portion.

17. In a rock tunneling installation for advancing an inclined face sloping upward from the tunnel bottom, means for drilling a shallow section of the inclined face comprising a plurality of drills disposed on a laterally offset portion of the face during drilling, and independent means for scraping another laterally offset portion of the face after shooting comprising a scraper element scraping down that portion. of the inclined face and having a connection at the remote end of that portion of the face, said drills and scraper element being simultaneously operative on said laterally offset portions of the face and transposable at will.

18. In a rock tunneling installation for advancing an inclined face sloping upward from the tunnel bottom, means for drilling a shallow section of the inclined face comprising a plurality of independent hammer drills, and independent means for mucking a drilled portion of the face after shooting comprising a scraper loader having a scraper element scraping down the inclined face, said drills and mucking mechanism being simultaneously operative on laterally offset portions of the face and transposable at will.

19. A rock tunneling installation for advancing an inclined face sloping upward from the tunnel bottom comprising a scraper loader disposed at one side of the tunnel axis and operating on a portion of the inclined face, and a plurality of drilling mechanisms laterally offset with respect to said scraper loader mechanism and operating during scraping on a laterally offset portion of the face, said scraper loader mechanism and plurality of drilling mechanisms being wholly independent one from the other and transposable at will.

20. Rock tunneling apparatus for removing an inclined face portion by portion in laterally offset portions, comprising a later ally offset trackway leading to the base of one portion, a car loading frame over the end of said trackway, means for mucking the inclined portion in front of the trackway delivering to said car loading frame, and drilling mechanism independent of said frame and mucking means and operating on the other portion of the face and disposed on said portion during operation.

21. Rock tunneling apparatus for removing an inclined face portion by portion in laterally offset portions, comprising a laterally offset trackway leading to the base of one portion, a car loading frame over the end of said trackway, means for scraping down the inclined portion in front of the trackway delivering to said car loading frame, and a plurality of independent drilling mechanisms each independent of said frame and of said scraping means and operating on the other portion of the face and disposed on said portion during operation.

22. Apparatus for removing alternately the adjacent portions of an inclined face, comprising a trackway having portions leading to adjacent the base of each portion of the face, a car loader frame on one portion of said trackway disposable at will on either track portion and having a scraper incline at its front end, scraper mechanism transposable therewith for scraping the face portion in front of said frame having a connection at the remote end of said inclined portion and delivering to said car loader, and a plurality of drilling mechanisms independent of said loader frame and scraper mechanism and operating and disposed on the other portion of the face also transposable at will and disposable and operative on the other inclined portion of the face.

23. A rock tunneling installation for working an inclined face sloping upward from the tunnel bottom, comprising trackways leading to laterally offset portions of the face, a scraper operative on one laterally offset portion of the face for scraping down the same and having a connection at the remote end of its laterally offset portion, scraper loader mechanism disposed on said trackway opposite said last mentioned portion of the face and receiving the scraped down material from said scraper, a plurality of drills disposed and operative on another laterally offset portion of the face during scraping, and supply lines for said drills, one connected to the latter, and both disposed on opposite sides of the tunnel in rear of the face, said scraper and scraper loader being independent of said drills and disposable inclependently thereof in operative relation to the other portion of the face and the other trackway respectively while said drills are likewise transposahle at will on to the scraped portion of the face and connectable to the other supply line.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

DANIEL J. OROURKE. 

